The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus which includes a replacement member such as a toner container that is supported by an attachment portion in an attachable/detachable manner, and in which a first contact portion of the replacement member contacts a second contact portion of the attachment portion during attachment of the replacement member.
There has been known an image forming apparatus, such as a copier or a printer, that forms an image on a print sheet based on the electrophotography. The image forming apparatus includes a developing device. The developing device stores, in the inside thereof, developer that contains toner. The developing device develops an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier such as a photoconductor drum, by the toner contained in the developer. The toner inside the developing device is decreased as the developing device performs the developing. As a result, the image forming apparatus is configured to include a toner container (replacement member) in which toner is stored so that the toner is supplied from the toner container to the developing device. In addition, the toner container is configured to be attachable/detachable with respect to the image forming apparatus. When the toner in the toner container is used up, the toner container is replaced with a new toner container filled with toner.
On the surface of the toner container of this type, a storage portion called memory chip is attached, wherein the storage portion stores information including information related to the toner container and the toner. When the toner container is attached to the image forming apparatus, connection terminals of the storage portion are electrically contacted with connection terminals of a reading portion provided in the image forming apparatus. This allows the information stored in the storage portion to be read by the reading portion.
Meanwhile, parts of the image forming apparatus may not be formed according to the designed size and may have a size tolerance. In addition, the parts may vary in size by expanding or shrinking depending on the environment (humidity, temperature, etc.) in which the image forming apparatus is installed. As a result, in the image forming apparatus, the toner container and the attachment portion to which the toner container is attached may vary in size. Such variation in size may cause a contact failure between the contact terminals of the reading portion and the storage portion in the state where the toner container has been attached to the attachment portion.